PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 
n 
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth oj 
Massachusetts. 
The Commissioners on contagious diseases of cattle, in their Report of Jan¬ 
uary, 1863, stated that there was not then a visible case of the disease called 
pleuro-pneumonia existing in the State. Iu February following, they were 
called upon to visit supposed cases on the farm of Wm. P. Childs, in Waltham, 
and subsequently communicated the results of their investigations to the Legis¬ 
lature, stating that they were uuable to trace the origiu of the disease in that 
herd. It was afterwards ascertained that the disease had existed in Lexington, 
“in a secret hiding-place,” for several months previous. 
The course taken was first to isolate the herd of cattle in Waltham, after 
which active measures w T ere taken to discover the origin of the outbreak. The 
dealer, of whom Mr. Childs had purchased cattle, denied having any reason to 
suspect the existence of the disease iu his herd, consequently the markets where 
the cattle were purchased were visited, and when no traces of the disease could 
there be found, it was feared that all efforts to control the malady would be 
fruitless. 
Several weeks elapsed before it became known that other herds were infected, 
and that many animals had perished from the disease. 
The expenses already incurred having exhausted the appropriation of $1,000 
made by the Legislature, report of the fact was made to the executive depart¬ 
ment,the opinion of the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth was taken as to 
the individual liabilities of the Commissioners, the result of which was the stop¬ 
ping of all further proceedings, and the resignation of the Commissioners. 
To eight herds, in which there was satisfactory evidence that the disease 
existed, it was ascertained that the infection was communicated by cattle pur¬ 
chased of the dealer before alluded to as having denied the existence of the di¬ 
sease in his herd, and iu most cases, the cattle purchased of him were the^first 
attacked. 
It was estimated by the Commissioners in May last, that the expenditure of 
$3,500, in addition to the appropriation of the Legislature, would have arrested 
the disease at that time. Satisfactory evidence is now at hand that it will re¬ 
quire $10,000 to cover the loss since sustained by State, towns and individuals, 
iu consequence of leaving the disease to take its course. 
In several instances, where the disease has broken out, the owners o£ cattle 
have disposed of thepa without calling upon the authorities for recompense, and 
if all the cattle that have been exposed to the disease, had been disposed of in 
such a manner as not to endanger others, doubtless no one would complain. 
But the character of this disease is so insidious that it is impossible for owners, 
or any one else, accurately to determine the existence or non-existence of the 
malady, and cattle may be disposed of iu such amauner as to carry the contagion 
to many herds; hence the necessitv of most stringent measures for arresting the 
disease at the outset. To accomplish this effectually, there should be iu exist¬ 
ence an active board of Commissioners. The result of leaving the matter to the 
